About the Author

In the wake of the razor-thin presidential election last November,
Americans were haunted by the specter of a divided America. Etched
in our minds was a twin-hued map -- the "blue" nation of the East
and West coasts that voted for Vice President Al Gore, and the
"red" nation of the heartland that voted for President Bush.

Our politics became increasingly rancorous and partisan, fueled
by politicians who couldn't let go of the last election or stop
plotting for the next. Our economy, after 18 years of unprecedented
prosperity, teetered on the edge of recession. Only days ago, our
society seemed obsessed with the trivial (a big lottery payoff) and
the absurd (whom Gary Condit was sleeping with).

But the terrorist assault on the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon has completely altered the political and social
landscape. And all signs indicate that it has brought about a
united nation capable of great courage, wisdom and
prudence.

Signs of courage in a new America abound: The hundreds of
New York City firefighters and police officers who plunged into the
burning twin towers to rescue people, giving no thought to their
own safety. The passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 who decided
to "do something" to stop the terrorists who had hijacked their
plane.

The wisdom is present too. You can see it in Secretary of
State Colin Powell, who persuaded NATO to do what it had never done
before in its 52-year history -- declare that a terrorist attack on
one NATO member is an attack on all. Vice President Richard Cheney
displayed war-tested wisdom as he managed the underground command
center at the White House. Democratic leaders Joseph Lieberman,
Richard Gephardt and Hillary Clinton showed wisdom as they pledged
support for a president whose legitimacy they had
questioned.

And to see the prudence of a new America at work, consider how
President Bush has behaved. He didn't rattle a saber when he spoke
about what we will do to international terrorists and those who
harbor them. He explained, quietly and firmly, that this scourge
will be ended. Attorney General John Ashcroft has shown judicial
prudence by supervising the largest manhunt in history and drawing
the net ever tighter around the terrorists still at large -- all
the while guarding the civil liberties we cherish in this
country.

Other signs of a New America: The overnight surge in military
enlistments by teens and young adults once dismissed as spoiled and
self-absorbed. The thousands lining up to give blood. The tens of
millions of dollars of donations flowing to the Salvation Army and
other faith-based organizations who, just weeks ago, were
questioned whether their beliefs would prevent them from giving aid
in an effective and non-biased fashion. The doubled and tripled
attendance at churches, synagogues and mosques. The runaway sale of
American flags -- one store in Chicago sold 25,000 flags in one
day, more than it had in all of the past year.

Those are the larger examples, but the small ones are powerful
too: The simple eloquence of the man explaining why he risked his
life to help someone buried beneath the rubble. A fire chief
choking back tears as he remembered his friend, a priest, who
suddenly disappeared in a cloud of dust as he looked for people to
comfort. The quiet acceptance by gridlocked motorists of a woman in
a business suit directing traffic.

Even the news media seem to have changed. They are now reporting
the news -- not opinion disguised as analysis or promotions for
television shows or movies disguised as features. The anchors kept
their voices low and measured. For the most part, they reported the
facts and avoided speculation. It's hard to believe this was the
same group who gave us all Monica, all the time.

There will be serious tests of the national will in the coming
weeks, months and years. But what will keep us going is what the
Founders institutionalized and Alexis de Tocqueville observed --
America's unique mix of liberty and faith.

Now, as in crises past, faith and freedom will produce a
stronger America. It's no longer a "red" and "blue" nation. It's
red, white and blue. May it be so forever.

Lee Edwards, a
senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, is theauthor of several books, including "The Conservative Revolution:
The Movement that Remade America."